How to fix Camtasia errors [Setup Failed, Recording, Video]

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Key notes

  • The Camtasia system audio setup failed errors have various causes, one of them being a faulty installation process.
  • Some users encountered this issue while recording a video, and a great solution was a versatile Adobe tool.
  • The Unable to register error may require stopping an app due to conflicting keyboard shortcuts.
  • You may also run the Command Prompt, then restart the system. Find the right solution for you in the guide below.
camtasia system audio setup failed

In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix the main Camtasia System Audio Setup Failed errors, that most users may encounter.

Camtasia Studio is among the most highly rated screencast software for Windows 10. Yet, like any software, it still throws out some error messages now and again.

The Camtasia System Audio Setup Failed error message can pop up for users when installing (or uninstalling) the software, recording video, or editing output.

In this article, we’re going to look at some of the most efficient fixes for Camtasia Studio’s more notable error messages that users have discussed on the support forum.


How to fix Camtasia System Audio Setup Failed errors?

1. Download Adobe Captivate

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If you don’t want to go through the grief of fixing Camtasia errors on Windows, you can bypass the entire list below by using a different solution: Adobe Captivate.

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2. Fix Error Code: (5) Setup Error

Error Code: (5) is a Camtasia installation error. The full error message states, Error Code: (5) Access is denied when users try to install the software. There are a few potential fixes for that error message.

First, try installing the software as an administrator. To do that, right-click Camtasia’s installer and select the Run as administrator option. Make sure that you install Camtasia with an admin account.

The Error Code: (5) error can also pop up for users who need to update the .NET Framework. NET Framework 4.6 or higher is a system requirement for Camtasia Studio 8 and 9.

Camtasia users can download the latest NET Framework version by clicking .NET Framework 4.7.2 on the official Microsoft download site. Then open the NET Framework setup wizard to install it.

Error Code: (5) might also be due to third-party antivirus software. So temporarily disable third-party software before installing Camtasia Studios.

To do that, right-click the antivirus software’s system tray icon to open a context menu that might include a disable or turn off the option.

If you can’t find a disable option there, open the settings tab or menu within the utility’s primary window, which will probably include an option to temporarily turn off the antivirus software.


3. Fix Error 1720, 1721, or 1723

  1. First, activate the built-in Windows admin account to ensure you’re installing Camtasia within an admin account. To do that, right-click the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin).
  2. In the Command Prompt enter the code below and press the Return key: net user administrator /active:yes
  3. Close the Command Prompt, and then restart Windows.
  4. Thereafter, select to log in with the new Administrator account.

Error 1720, 1721, and 1723 are installation error messages that can pop up for Camtasia and other Windows software. The error message states, Error 1720: There is a problem with this Windows installer package. 

That error message might be due to a corrupted installer, User Account Control, or a non-admin user account.

User Account Control (UAC) can also block the Windows installer. Thus, turning the UAC off might fix the installer error message. Users can turn off UAC as follows.

  1. Click the Type here to search button on Windows 10’s taskbar to open Cortana.
  2. Enter the keyword User Account Control in Cortana’s search box, and select Change User Account settings.
  3. Then slide the slider to Never notify.
  4. Click the OK button.

If, however, the installer is corrupted, users will need to get a fresh Camtasia setup wizard, so if this is the case it’s recommended that users download a new installer for the software.


4. Fix the problem with your Recording File error

  1. First, check that Camtasia isn’t running by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Task Manager. Select CamRecorder.exe or CamtasiaStudio.exe on the Processes tab and click End task to close them.
  2. Press the Windows key + X hotkey. Then select Run to open that accessory.
  3. Enter regedit in Run’s Open box, and click the OK button. That will open the Registry Editor window.
  4. Then Camtasia users should open one of three registry paths in the Registry Editor depending on their software version. The registry paths are: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareTechSmithCamtasia Studio18.0 (for Camtasia 2018 users, it’ll have different values for different versions).
  5. When you’ve opened the required Camtasia Studio registry path, right-click the 18.0, 9.0 or 8.0 folder (or key) on the left of the window and select Delete.

This is a recording error message that might pop up for some Camtasia users. The error message states, We’re sorry! There was a problem with your recording file. 


5. Fix Error Code 0x88880001: Unknown Error

  1. Right-click the speaker icon on Windows’ system tray and select Sounds.
  2. Click the Playback tab shown in the snapshot directly below.
  3. Then double-click the default audio device to open the window below.
  4. Select the Enhancements tab.
  5. Click the Disable all enhancements box.
  6. Press the Apply button.

Error Code 0x88880001 is an audio error message that pops up in Camtasia. The error message states, We’re sorry! Camtasia could not playback the audio from the recording.

Save your recording and try restarting Camtasia. As such, the recorded output doesn’t include any audio.

Updating sound card drivers is another resolution that will usually fix Error Code 0x88880001. The quickest way to do that is probably to add driver updater software Windows.

Then users can scan for and update antiquated drivers with that software. Download now Driver Booster 6 to add that software to Windows. Driver Booster 6 automatically scans when you open it.

Then it will list outmoded drivers on your desktop or laptop. Click the Update All button to update the devices listed with the latest drivers.


6. Fix: Unknown Error

  1. First, open Run in Windows.
  2. Enter regedit in Run and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Go to the registry path below: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareTechSmithCamtasia Studio9.0.
  4. Right-click the 9.0 key and select Delete to erase it.

Some Camtasia users have stated that an Unknown Error message pops up when they try to start recording a video. Thus, the users can’t record the video. This is how Camtasia 9 users can fix Unknown Error.


7. Fix the WMVcore.DLL is Missing Error

Windows Media Player is a system requirement for Camtasia Studio. A WMVcore.DLL is missing error message pops up when users try to run Camtasia on Windows KN and N versions that don’t include WMP.

Thus, installing the Windows Media Feature Pack, which also installs WMP, will probably fix the WMVcore.DLL is missing error for KN and N users at least.

Camtasia users can download that pack at the Windows 10 Media Feature Pack page.

Various users also reported that Camtasia displayed the Invalid Configuration State error and in this case, you should try changing the audio source from Microphone to Stereo mix.


8. Fix An Error Occurred While Initializing the Camera for Capture

  1. Reinstalling the camera (or webcam) driver is one resolution that might fix the Camtasia camera error. To do that, press the Windows key + X hotkey.
  2. Click Device Manager to open the window directly below.
  3. Then double-click Cameras to expand that device category. Note that Device Manager might also list a camera under Image devices or Other devices.
  4. Right-click the camera and select the Uninstall device.
  5. Thereafter, restart Windows, which will then automatically reinstall the camera driver.

This is an error message that can pop up during Camtasia’s camera initialization.

The full error message states: An error occurred while initializing the camera for capture. Camera video will not be recorded. Thus, the software doesn’t record any camera video.


9. Fix Camtasia Studio 8 cannot connect to YouTube

  1. Check that Camtasia isn’t running before you edit the registry.
  2. Open the Run accessory.
  3. Input regedit in the Open text box, and press the OK button.
  4. Next, browse to this registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareTechSmithCamtasia Studio8.0.
  5. Select the 8.0 key, and click Edit, then Delete.

The Camtasia Studio 8 cannot connect to YouTube error message might pop up for some users trying to add recorded videos to YouTube.

Some users have confirmed that editing the registry fixes the issue. This is how users can fix Camtasia 8’s YouTube error.


10. Fix Unable to Register Record/Pause or Marker Hotkey

The Unable to Register Record/Pause or Marker Hotkey error pops up when alternative software is running that has some of the same hotkeys as Camtasia’s Recorder.

Consequently, this is a hotkey conflict. In order to fix the Unable to Register error, users should stop the other software that has matching keyboard shortcuts.

Alternatively, users can modify Camtasia’s hotkeys by clicking Tools then go to Options and choose Hotkeys. Change the hotkeys to keyboard shortcuts that won’t conflict with any other third-party software.


11. Fix the System Audio Setup Failed Error

  1. Open the Run program.
  2. Enter the line below in Run and click the OK button: appwiz.cpl
  3. Then select ASUS software to uninstall.
  4. Click the Uninstall button.
  5. Then select Yes to confirm.

So that’s what you should do when Camtasia displays a message that says that an error occurred in the Recorder: System Audio Setup Failed.

For further resolutions, Camtasia users can submit TechSmith support tickets at the official developer’s page.

This error message pops up when some Camtasia users try to record video. The full error message states, An error occurred in the Recorder: System Audio Setup Failed.

TechSmith has confirmed that the error message is primarily due to conflicting ASUS software. Thus, uninstalling ASUS Sonic Suite, ASUS Sonic Studio and ASUS Sonic Radar may solve the error.

Removing the Nahimic Audio can also fix the issue, so follow the guidelines above to remove that program. You can also use the best uninstaller software, in that regard.


As you can see although Camtasia is not the perfect software and it may have some bugs popping-up, there are solutions to fixing them efficiently.

In this guide we covered the most common Camtasia System Audio Setup Failed errors and we hope that it got you out of your predicament.

We’d like to hear more from you on this issue so please drop us a comment in the dedicated section below.


More about the topics: Video Editors